An Easy Guide to Scorpion Pose, or Vrschikasana
Scorpion Pose, or Vrschikasana, is a hard yoga pose that you may not be able to master untilyou have built up enough core strength to perfect the lifting of the legs and torso. The pose mimics the position of a scorpion ready to strike.
With Scorpion Pose, it'd be easy to get caught up in ego as we practice this advanced, visually appealing, yoga pose but remember this - placing our feet on the head is supposed to symbolise the destruction of ego and the restoration of humility and perspective. Well anyway, that's the theory.
Watch a clip for this yoga pose
How to do Scorpion Pose, or Vrschikasana, in easy steps
Step 1:
Kneel on the floor, then bend forward and place the palms, forearms and elbows on the floor a shoulder width apart.
Step 2:
Stretch the neck and lift the head as high as possible. On an exhalation, swing the legs and body up, balancing without the legs dropping forward or back.
Step 3:
Keep the upper arms vertical and stretch the chest upwards.
Step 4:
Exhale, bend the knees above the head and bring the heels to rest on the crown of the head. Keep the knees and ankles together, the toes pointing forwards. The ankles and shins should be at right angles to the head, and they should also be parallel with the upper arms..
Step 5:
Try to keep your breath regular and stay here for five to ten breaths.
Step 6:
To release, drop the legs beyond the head and onto the floor. Then raise the elbows from the floor and move into Upwards Bow Pose.
Step 7:
Reverse the steps to come out and stretch your back out in a standing forward bend.
Yoga pose category: Weight on hands
Level: 3
Some have labelled the Scorpion pose one of as the hardest yoga poses out there. So, don’t be alarmed if you can’t master it just yet! It takes preparation and skill to build the muscle and flexibility, to accomplish this pose, so keep practicing, and keep building your core, and eventually you will get there.
Sanskrit words meaning:
Vrschikasana - scorpion
Asana - pose
Yoga pose health benefits:
Like all yoga poses, Scorpion Pose has many health benefits. Use it to help with the following health conditions:
Stress
Balance issues
Poor circulation
Anxiety
Yoga pose contraindications:
Don’t practice Scorpion Pose if you have any of the following health conditions:
Wrist injury
Shoulder injury
Elbow injury
Headache
Pregnancy
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Lucy Edge
is a yoga advocate and writer with three yoga books to her name, including the beloved travel memoir Yoga School Dropout. She writes regularly for the national press, has authored over 150 guides to types of yoga and yoga poses, discovered nearly 250 proven health benefits of yoga through her painstaking classification of 300 clinical studies, and collected more than 500 personal testimonials to the real life benefits of yoga. She is also the creator of our yoga shop – YogaClicks.Store – handpicking yoga brands that are beautifully made by yogis committed to environmental and social sustainability.
